GPT Researcher
An autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data using any LLM providers
What is GPT Researcher?
GPT Researcher is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data using any llm providers
An autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data using any LLM providers
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y gpt-researcherManual Installation
npx -y gpt-researcherConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use GPT Researcher
GPT Researcher is an open-source autonomous research agent that conducts deep, multi-source web and local document research on any query. It uses parallelized planner and execution agents to generate detailed, factual, and unbiased research reports with citations, overcoming the limitations of LLM hallucinations and token constraints. Connecting to over 20 web sources per query via the Tavily search API, it produces reports exceeding 2,000 words and can export to PDF, Word, and other formats. Developers use it to automate competitive research, literature reviews, and domain-specific investigations without manual web browsing.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.11 or later installed
- OpenAI API key (or compatible LLM provider) set as OPENAI_API_KEY
- Tavily API key set as TAVILY_API_KEY (free tier available at tavily.com)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor
- Node.js 18+ for the npx installation method
Obtain required API keys
Sign up at platform.openai.com for an OpenAI API key and at tavily.com for a Tavily search API key. Tavily provides a free tier suitable for initial testing. Set both as environment variables or store them in a .env file in your project directory.
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-openai-key-here
export TAVILY_API_KEY=tvly-your-tavily-key-hereInstall GPT Researcher as a pip package (optional standalone use)
If you want to use GPT Researcher programmatically outside of MCP, install the pip package. This gives you the GPTResearcher class for scripting research tasks directly in Python.
pip install gpt-researcherAdd the MCP server to your client configuration
Open your MCP client's configuration file (for Claude Desktop this is claude_desktop_config.json) and add the GPT Researcher server entry. The server runs via npx and picks up your environment variables automatically.
Configure environment variables in the MCP config
Pass your API keys directly in the MCP server configuration's env block so the server can authenticate with OpenAI and Tavily when invoked by your MCP client.
Restart your MCP client and verify the connection
After saving the config file, fully quit and reopen your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop). The GPT Researcher server should appear in the available tools list. Ask a research question to confirm the connection is working.
GPT Researcher Examples
Client configuration
Add this block to your claude_desktop_config.json under the mcpServers key. Replace the placeholder values with your real API keys.
{
"mcpServers": {
"gpt-researcher": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "gpt-researcher"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-your-openai-key-here",
"TAVILY_API_KEY": "tvly-your-tavily-key-here"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Once the server is connected, use these prompts to trigger deep research reports.
- "Research the current state of quantum computing and write a detailed report with citations"
- "Conduct a competitive analysis of the top 5 vector database products available in 2025"
- "Research recent advancements in CRISPR gene editing and summarize the key findings"
- "Write a report on the economic impact of generative AI on software development jobs"Troubleshooting GPT Researcher
Research fails with 'Tavily API key not found' or HTTP 401 errors
Ensure TAVILY_API_KEY is set correctly in the MCP server's env block in your config file. The key must start with 'tvly-'. Verify the key is active by testing it at app.tavily.com.
Reports are very short or the agent stops after generating questions
This usually means the OpenAI API key has insufficient quota or the model is rate-limited. Check your usage limits at platform.openai.com. You can also set OPENAI_BASE_URL to use a compatible alternative provider.
npx command hangs indefinitely on first run
The first run downloads the package, which can take 30-60 seconds. If it never completes, check that Node.js 18+ is installed and that npm's registry is reachable. Run 'npx -y gpt-researcher --help' in a terminal to test outside the MCP client.
Frequently Asked Questions about GPT Researcher
What is GPT Researcher?
GPT Researcher is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data using any llm providers It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install GPT Researcher?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y gpt-researcher. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with GPT Researcher?
GPT Researcher works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is GPT Researcher free to use?
Yes, GPT Researcher is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
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